A Series of Vignettes on the Kuruizaki-hime
by GreenWaves73
Summary: A bunch of stories focusing on Shizuka Hio, exploring who she was and who she could have been. Stories are ramblings from different phases of her life and covering random themes. They are based on the few canon facts about her and the author's headcannons.
1. Flowers

Flowers

A small girl that appeared to be around 7 years old sat quietly in front of her low mahogany table, one pale childish hand holding a calligraphy brush and the other hand carefully holding her long sleeves out of the way. She was clad in traditional Japanese attire, a light lilac kimono with very detailed patterning. Her long white hair, white as the color of freshly fallen snow, trailed past her waist to the floor. She had on a big, dark blue, silk bow in her hair, and it had chrysanthemums embroidered in silver thread. Overall she looked like a doll, immaculately and neatly dressed, just like the dolls that the adults have given her to play with.

She was practicing her calligraphy and composing a poem, like her instructor had told her to. She was nearly done and wondered when her instructor would come back, listening for the sound of footsteps approaching. She finished but continued to sit silently in front of her work, her pink eyes staring at the dark wood of the table as if she was lost in thought. A short while later, a thin and stern looking middle aged woman dressed in a simple dark brown kimono entered and sat down in front of her pupil.

"Shizuka-sama, I see you have finished your assignment," the lady said, glancing at the writing in front of her.

The girl nodded and watched as her teacher read over her work. Her teacher's strict expression seemed to soften a little as she finished reading.

"Ah- you have written a wonderful poem on cherry blossoms," her teacher praised but paused and added "however it seems…a bit short."

"I cannot make the poem any longer," the girl replied in a quiet voice.

"And why is that, my lady?" her teacher looked at her.

"I have never seen cherry blossoms except in pictures and from the distance through the small window up there," she pointed to a small rectangular window with bars across. The window was located high on the wall, almost touching the ceiling. "Therefore I am unfamiliar with the very imagery I portrayed with those words and cannot add more"."

Her teacher stiffened and sighed, recognizing the familiar discontent in her student's words, "My lady it is for your own good that you are kept here. Here you have servants to tend to your needs and you are kept away from the ugliness and corruption that exist in the world. I hope to hear no more regarding this matter."

The girl nodded quietly in response to her teacher's scolding. Her teacher stared at the small child in front of her. She had taught this child ever since the child was old enough to walk. This child was the princess of the once powerful but now fallen Hio family and kept isolated in this cage, alone except for her and a few servants. The child had always been quiet, hence her name _Shizuka_ which meant silence. She was well behaved and a wonderful student, but she was still a pureblood and had to be treated with caution and wariness. Moreover, members of the Hio family have been known to have gone insane… However, this strict teacher occasionally felt something akin to pity for this student of hers. If only she was not a pureblood…

Her teacher sighed once again and rose to leave "My dear lady, I will be back in a few hours, in the meantime you shall look over the readings I have assigned you." She bowed and left, her footsteps eventually fading away.

Once she was outside again she breathed in the fresh air and stared at the cherry blossoms. It was that season again and the pale pink petals of the flowers were falling and drifting everywhere, covering the floor in a sea of pink. As she stood there looking at the flowers, she had a sudden idea. It went against her usual actions but she was in one or her rare sympathetic moods. She went over to the closest tree and inspecting it closely, chose a small branch laden with cheery blossoms and plucked it off. Then she carried it gently as to not crush the delicate flowers, back into the dark cage.

The girl looked up from her reading, taking her glance away from the scrolls with the old literature recorded and looked at the entrance to her cage. Her teacher appeared and quickly entered, carrying something she recognized from paintings as a branch of cherry blossoms.

Her teacher cleared her throat a little awkwardly and said "Shizuka –sama, seeing as you have been a diligent student, I have bought you this branch of cherry blossoms to reward you for your good work and behavior". She handed her surprised student the flowers.

She looked at the expression of her small student and noted how it changed from slight surprise to a rare but subtle expression of happiness. It was common for the rest of them to take things like flowers for granted, so it was odd that something as simple as this could bring such joy to her student. She was struck with another idea that would kill two birds with one stone. She could quell some of her student's discontent and still perform her assigned duty to raise this girl into a refined and competent young lady.

"Shizuka –sama, how do you like the flowers?" she inquired.

"They are even prettier in real life than they are in paintings," the girl replied.

The teacher smiled slightly and proceeded "Very well, Shizuka –sama, you shall start taking classes in flower arrangement soon."

Surprise flickered for a short moment in the girl's eyes and she nodded. Her teacher turned to leave once more. As her teacher locked the door behind her, the girl quickly spoke "Thank you sensei."

Her instructor was caught off guard by this expression of gratitude and quickly nodded in response and left.

When she was alone again, the girl inspected the flowers in front of her carefully and curiously. They were delicate and had a sweet aroma. If just a single branch was so lovely, wouldn't the whole tree be even more stunning? She felt a small pang of sadness at the thought that she would never be allowed to see the flowers in their natural state. After all she was to be kept for eternity in this cage, only catching glimpses of the world through her small window and through her readings.

* * *

**Note:** I have noticed a lack of stories about Shizuka who happens to be one of my favorite characters so I decided to write one. This is intended to be a bunch of ramblings taken from different phases of her life. I have only written one story so far but I will probably add more...though I will probably take a while. The stories are intended to adhere to what little canon facts we know about her, though with a lot of my own "interpretation".

Shizuka probably seems out of character here, but my reasoning is that she wasn't always the cynical, cold, vengeful pureblood she was. I have a feeling that early in her life she was more "normal", and maybe even a tiny bit naive (she was locked up in a cage after all), but as she got older she realized that no matter what, nothing will ever change and she will always be regarded with caution and wariness- thus she became colder, more cynical, and more heartless. However, she still had enough love and sympathy in her for her to fall in love with her ex-human and to care for Ichiru, but she kept that better part of her hidden and instead put on her cold and heartless facade.

Anyway, I wish there were more stories about Shizuka, I find her a fascinating character.


	2. Blood

Blood

Blood is the ruby red liquid with a slightly metallic smell that vampires desire and thirst for. To them, blood is more than just sustenance; blood can contain the emotions and memories of its owner. It is the link that connects two individuals. Among the vampires, it is said that the blood of a loved one is the only cure to quench their seemingly endless thirst.

As she pondered over the role of blood to her species, Shizuka felt the child's small frame slump against her, and she retracted her fangs. Quickly and elegantly she wiped her blood covered lips clean with a silk handkerchief, leaving a dark red stain on the light fabric. She glanced down to the unconscious child sitting on her lap with his head against her chest and brushed back his hair to study his face more clearly. She could tell the child was only going to last another week at most, and after that the servants will replace him with another. As usual, the blood tasted of despair and emptiness.

A few strands of her silky long hair fell past her ears as she peered closer at the child's face. He was a thin, sickly looking child, and had a deathly pale complexion. Shizuka estimated that he was around ten years old and touched his cheek – it felt cold, just like her. She made a wry half smile, thinking about how this scene must appear to onlookers. She was a cold-blooded, merciless monster slowly draining away the life of the poor innocent child, drop by drop. In a sense those people would be right, her heart had long gone cold. Even if her "meal" was in the form of a small child, she didn't flinch.

When she was still a child herself, a long time ago, she had felt some guilt devouring the blood of the sacrifices presented to her. That feeling was strongest when they cried or pleaded. But what could have been done? Even if she decided to spare them, another unlucky soul will just take their place. As the years passed, she stopped feeling anything when she fed. She was the predator and they were the prey, she needed to feed and they were her food; that was simply the nature of things.

She had grown immune to the familiar looks of fear, horror, and helplessness on their faces. The taste of their blood reflected their emptiness and misery. It didn't taste good, but that didn't matter, the aim was to alleviate her blood thirst for awhile. Every few days, sometimes longer, the servants unlock her cage and put in the sacrifice. Usually they last around two weeks before they finally give out and have to be replaced. Shizuka wondered where these people came from and how they were chosen. Most were adults and some were children. Given their poor, ragged appearances, she assumed some of them were criminals, petty thieves, abandoned or neglected children and the like. They were the ones at the bottom of the social hierarchy, those that were deemed insignificant enough that if they vanish, no one would notice or care.

The adults were easier to feed on then the children, sometimes the children cry, but they usually quiet down after a while. As she looked at their sad, pitiful faces though, she thought of how dark and unrelenting the world was. How cruel and irresponsible of the parents to bring children into such a wretched, loveless world. And thus she reasoned that perhaps it was better for her to end the sad lives of these abandoned children sooner. They have already seen too much horror and felt too much pain in the few years of their short lives. Their eyes already had that forlorn look that didn't belong on such youthful faces; there was no hope for them.

The only other blood she had tasted besides those of the sacrifices was the blood of her fiancé. It was an old custom for engaged vampires to exchange blood with one another, a way to establish a bond between the two. As she thought of her fiancé and their arranged engagement, her pink eyes narrowed in distaste. Despite his handsome countenance, she disliked him and found him unsavory. There was something lurking in his eyes, one colored red like blood, and the other a cold, steel blue, that she found repulsive. His blood had an astringent flavor to it, and after drinking it she had felt vaguely nauseous. She could sense a dark obsession in his blood, a dangerous, loathsome and overpowering feeling. It was the desire for something he could never obtain, and his subsequent fall into depravity and derangement she could taste. She much preferred the blood of her human sacrifices over his sickening blood, even if it was the powerful, desired blood of another pureblood vampire.

Shizuka was distracted from her reverie by small sounds the boy was making. The child still hadn't awakened, but he was shivering slightly and whimpering at a barely audible level. She wondered if he was having a nightmare, and started to stroke his cold face and head, gently running her fingers through his thin, scraggly hair. He appeared to be soothed by her oddly maternal gestures and stopped shivering and whimpering. As she listened to his light, raspy breathing, she thought about how all this darkness and suffering would soon end for this unfortunate child. At last he would be free…

* * *

**Note:** This chapter was inspired by that scene where child Kaname went to visit Shizuka and she was feeding from what appeared to be a child. I doubt that she is completely cold-hearted seeing how she is able to feel sadness and sympathy for others (i.e. Ichiru) so I reason that she pities to some extent the children she takes blood from. I always wondered about the role of blood in the VK universe. I suspect Rido's blood reflects his craziness and his unhealthy obsession with Juuri... I wonder how Shizuka's blood wold taste to another vampire. Probably has a hint of melancholy and loneliness to it... This one is a bit darker, but I wasn't in the mood to write light hearted stuff...besides, I can't really imagine her being happy, to be honest. She is one of those beautifully tragic characters after all.

Anyway thanks for the views and reviews! In response to a reviewer, I prefer to keep this pairing free and focusing on Shizuka. But if they were to write a pairing story I look forward to reading it :)


	3. Family

Family

The lone figure in the room sat still and unmoving like a statue. Her embroidery work lay unfinished beside her, the brightly stitched silk flowers neglected. The gaze in her light, cherry blossom pink eyes revealed that her mind was elsewhere, somewhere far away. She was watching humans through her familiar's eyes. Her familiar, a small warbler, was currently perched on an elm tree hundreds of miles away, observing a farmer and his young son at work plowing the fields. There wasn't anything special about the farmer and his son, they were simply very _normal_. Perhaps that is why she observed them- to see what the lives of normal people were like.

Humans were such weak and fragile creatures; they got injured easily and died quickly. She was not even a full pledged adult vampire yet, but she could already sense the fleeting quality the mortals possessed. She could watch this family for generations if she wanted to, but she suspected that if she did, she would only end up feeling disappointed. The human cycle of birth, growing into adulthood, then growing old and dying was a very predictable one. Thus she was content to observe this family for only a short while.

She wondered why she felt an unfamiliar lightness in her heart whenever she observed these types of scenes. Yet the light feeling was also weighted down by a disagreeable feeling. Seeing complete families like that had the strange effect of making her pleased and sad at the same time. She could already feel a weight settling down on her heart as she saw the mother emerge from their dwelling to join her husband and son. The mother went over to the father and gently wiped his perspiring face with a cool cloth, they smiled at each other the whole time. Then the mother scolded her son for not wearing his hat and told him he had better finish his chores on time, but she had a tender look in her eyes despite her words. They looked so happy together, even when they going through tough times. Shizuka found it hard to understand why they still looked so joyful, even when the drought was killing their harvest. How was it possible they were still smiling when the land around them was parched and the plants wilting and yellowed? Was family- was love something so wonderful that it can make everything alright even when nothing seemed to work out? It made her wonder what it would be like to have a family.

She knew she had a mother and father; after all, everyone had a mother and father. But she had never met them. She had been put in a cage as soon as she was born. She wondered if her mother or father had ever held her in their arms. What little she knew of her parents were mostly gleaned from the careless gossiping of servants and the "official" account her caretakers had given her. The story she was supposed to believe was that her mother had grown depressed and tired of eternal life, and had taken her own life. According to them her father was filled with grief and chose to follow his wife not long after. Thus her caretakers told her it was for the best that she stayed in her "abode", where she would be kept safe from the sadness and tragedies that existed in the world. What Shizuka learned from the servants' whispers was that her mother had gone mad and killed herself because of a man- a man that was not her father. Her father decided to end his life, not because of grief over his wife, but simply because he was weary from his long, immortal life. There had been no love between them- they were not a family like the ones she observed.

She was not surprised when she pieced together the real tale. Her caretakers were always cautious and hid truths from her, telling her only the rosy, clean versions of things. However, they had always been blunt and truthful when it came to the topic of love. They didn't want her to have any nonsense and strange hopes in her head. Even as a child, Shizuka had never believed the fairy tales of handsome princes whisking beautiful princesses away to live happily ever after. After all, she already knew what her fate was. It was so fixed and inevitable it might as well have been set down in stone. She will be engaged to an older male pureblood, a decision that she had no part of. Her teacher had told her that it was her duty to marry whoever was chosen for her, and to bear his children. Love was not necessary for a marriage; the sole purpose was to continue their pure bloodlines. An arranged marriage and eventually having children - that was the fate of women, immortal or not.

Thus she harbored no illusions about her future, distant as it was. She did not expect to end up with a husband that looked at her the way this man looked so tenderly and lovingly at his wife. Her kind was reserved and cautious by nature, their deepest desires and secrets they could tell no one but keep locked up within their hearts. Still she could not help but wish that she and her future husband will at least tolerate one another… after all they were supposed to spend the rest of eternity together.

The sun was already setting; the sky was filled with the familiar crimson and orange glow. Shizuka had always felt that sunset was the most beautiful but most melancholy time of the day. It signaled the end of a day, and possessed a somber quality. The farmer and his family were already finished with the day's work and heading back to their house. She ordered her familiar to return to her, and for a short while watched the scenery passing through her familiar's eyes. The forests and towns below flew by in a blur and the lights of households scattered below twinkled in the growing darkness. She switched her attention back to her reality – the big ornate cage she was in. The shadows had already invaded the space, though some moonlight still streamed in through the bars of her small window. Her servants would come soon to light her lanterns and tend to whatever needs she had. Shizuka picked up her needlework and resumed her work.

A few hours later her familiar returned, flying in through the narrow slits of her one window. It perched on a wooden chest, and her silk robes rustled in the otherwise silent space as she got up and walked over to the bird. She extended a pale finger and the little bird gingerly hopped on her finger, and she gently stroked its light brown feathers. She proceeded to put the bird back in the small, ornate, bamboo cage she kept hidden behind a screen. While doing so, she suddenly shivered, even though she was dressed in many layers of fine silk. She was seized with that odd feeling that strikes her occasionally on nights like these, a feeling that left her feeling hollow, tired and heartbroken all at once. She brushed the feeling off and turned back to her embroidery. Busying herself made the uncomfortable , strange feeling fade away quicker, so she focused on losing herself in the clear-cut black silk world of red and yellow chrysanthemums and multicolored butterflies.

* * *

**Note**: One of my head cannons is that Shizuka's familiar would be some type of bird. I can't really imagine her using bats like others. I _really_ think that Shizuka would be so bored locked up in her cage that she would use her familiar to see the world outside since she wasn't allowed to physically go outside herself.

Everything regarding Shizuka's family/ parentage I made up, except the part where she was put in a cage as soon as she was born (that was stated in canon by Maria). For a more story-like effect I imagine that women in Shizuka's family are cursed to fail in terms of love and they are all probably the tragic beauty type.

That strange feeling I mentioned in the last paragraph is supposed to be loneliness. Since loneliness is the default for Shizuka she probably doesn't even notice it unless it is really intense.

By the way if anyone wants to watch a sad but incredible anime they should watch Mushishi. In Mushishi Zoku Shou there is an episode called _Lingering Crimson_. That episode really made me see how sad and lonely sunset could be, not romantic like it is usually portrayed in the media.


	4. Doll

Doll

The girl sat surrounded by dolls in the silence. Snow was falling outside soundlessly and the room was cold and grey. Even the bright patterns on the silk kimonos seemed to be covered by a pale grey filter. Shizuka held her favorite doll on her lap as she gently brushed the jet black strands of the doll's hair. The highly ornamental comb made the repetitive movements over and over again, the teeth of the comb sinking and resurfacing into the dark waves. Shizuka liked combing her dolls' hair best, even more than dressing them up in luxurious garments. There was something so tender about the action, something she longed for by instinct. When she was younger and even now on special occasions (such as when a guest is visiting) her maid would brush and arrange her hair. But she never enjoyed those moments. There was nothing tender nor gentle when her maid brushed her hair, it was simply mechanical and impersonal. Sometimes her maid pulled too forcefully, enough to make her almost wince. But she never complained- they praised her for that. Her caretaker, her maids, all of them would smile at her, (though the smiles never quite reached their eyes) and nod approvingly, commenting how "Shizuka-sama is such an understanding and perfect young lady."

Perfect princesses do not complain, nor do they speak unnecessarily. Her caretaker, a stern woman with hair starting to gray, and who was always clad in dignified and imposing dark colors, repeated this to her. Sometimes Shizuka opens her mouth slightly, the words not yet completely formed, about to spill off her tongue, but her caretaker's teaching would come back to her and she would silently close her lips, and the unsaid words would dissolve, leaving no trace.

As the last princess of the prestigious Hio clan, she had to be impeccable in everything. There was no room for flaws. When she sat separated by a semi-transparent paper screen and the thick black bars of her cage from her important guests, she kept her expression stoic. Her hair was smooth and not a strand out of place. Her long silk robes never had a crease where it should not be, and the silk colors always obeyed unsaid rules. Her hands were always clasped on her lap, when not daintily holding a teacup or her folding fan. Most importantly her lips were sealed. Words rarely came out, and when they did, she had to make sure not to show any hint of the surprise she sometimes felt upon hearing her own voice. Her own voice had become something distant, something that was not her own. But she rarely had to open her own mouth, for her caretaker who sat at the side answered questions for her and spoke in her stead. All she had to do was dip her head slightly in response when addressed.

"That is right Shizuka-sama. You are perfect, like a beautiful doll."

So she sits silently, surrounded by her dolls in this cold room. Like her, their hair is straight and not a strand out of place. They stand straight in their silk kimonos, their glass eyes blank and unseeing. Dolls do not speak, so she will not open her lips, and the words will never leave. Her words will sink to the base of her throat, and dissolve, silently, like snow.


End file.
